Creative review: Order your workspace

01 October 2015

Blogger Mona has arranged her home office so that she feels inspired and can stay on top of her many projects. ‘It’s important for me to have a good overview of my work and materials,’ she says. A mix of open and closed storage, labels and inspiring displays help. ‘Being organised allows me to work calmly and efficiently.’

‘For me, good organisation boosts creativity. Nothing beats wanting to try out a new idea and having all the materials you need to hand’

Mona, blogger, Germany

Be inventive with your storage

Mona mixes and matches her organisation for pleasure as well as function. ‘Small details make me smile and spark my creativity. I use kitchen containers for pens, picture ledges for small items that would otherwise get lost at the back of a drawer, and coat hangers for magazines I might need to reference. The wooden man was a vintage gift. He makes the perfect washi tape holder!’

Hang your inspiration

To create an instant moodboard, try a wall-mounted clipboard. ‘I have 8 or 10 projects on the go at any one time,’ says Mona. ‘Having a visual prompt for each, like this wedding one, helps me to keep them all in focus.’

Gather your essentials

Keep the tools you use most often together. ‘Having my picture and letter stamps on a tray together means I can see everything at a glance and move them all easily to another part of the room or house,’ says Mona.

Label what you can’t see

For closed storage, give yourself a reminder of what’s inside. ‘I love my desk drawers,’ says Mona. ‘They’re great for things I use less often. I love ticker tape but you could just as easily use stickers or coloured labels.’

Store and display key items

Have space to spare? Turn your office into a studio! ‘My BILLY bookcase is perfect for storing and displaying craft supplies, fabrics and magazines. I brought this black IKEA table from our last home,’ says Mona. ‘But it was too small as a main workspace. So I bought a new desk and repurposed this one as a sewing station. Now I can switch between crafting on one side of the room and sewing on the other.’

‘Time is precious. Instead of wasting it searching for things, I prefer to invest it in activities I love, like crafting or working on creative projects’